Massage device



D. J. HEAGANY.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

.APPLICATION FILED MAR; 15 1919.

1,810,950. Patented July 1919.

IDEIBTNIS J. HEAGANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MASSAGE DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed March 15, 1919. Serial No. 282,914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS J. HEAGANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Massage Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device to be used for massaging the human body, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a massage device which shall be extremely simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and eflicient in operation,-and of such a character that it can be used and manipulated by the person undergoing the massage treatment in such a'mannor as to massage any portion of the body.

A further object is to provide a massage device which shall be of such construction that in its operation and movements on the .flesh of the body the same will be thoroughly, yet gently kneaded, and in some instances will be subjected to suction or cupping operation, thus stimulating the action of the skin and increasing the circulation of the blood. Various other advantages and objects of the invention will be disclosed in the subjoined description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawing which serves to illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Figure lis a view in side elevation showing one form of the device;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlar ed cross sectional View taken on line 3-3 0 Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 1 is a similar view taken on the same line, and figure, but showing the handle of the holder which carries the friction rollers omitted, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the surface of the flesh or body showing about the position the flesh will be caused to assume in the operation of the device.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawing: I

The holder of the device is designated by the reference numeral 8, and consists of a rectangular piece of metal or other suitable materlal, having at each of its ends a dependlng arm Or member 9, each of which is provided with a pair of openings 10, in which are located the shafts 11 of the'frict1on rollers, each of which comprises alshaft 11 of a suitable length to be journaled at its ends in the openings 10 of the depending members 9 of the holder, and a plurality of spaced apart annular enlargements 12, which enlargements are made of rubber or a suitable composition possessing some resiliency, but sufficient rigidity to afford considerable pressure when the device is used in the massaging operation. Asshown in Figs. 1 and'2 of the drawing, the enlargements 12 of each of the friction rollers are united together at their inner or hub portions and are tapered therefrom outwardly, 'yet terminate in rounded peripheries. In constructing the rollers the rubber or-composition out of which the enlargements 12 and their hubs or uniting portions 13 are made is vulcanized or molded or otherwise fixed on the shafts 11 so as to rotate therewith in the operation of the device. Fitted on the upper surface of the holder 8 and secured thereto by means of screws or otherwise is a handle or block 14, which may be made of any suitable size, form and material, but by preference of wood, and said handle or block is preferably provided in its sides with gripping depressions 15 for the thumb and fingers of the user.

By reference to the drawing it will be seen that the annular enlargements 12 of one of the rollers are extended between the anwill be further observed that the sha ts 11 are journaled in parallelism in the same plane with "one another, and that the enlargements on each of the rollers are of the same size. Each of the enlargements 12 may be provided near its periphery on each side of the enlargement and in the rounded or beveled portions thereofwith a series of depressions 16 which, when the device is moved back and forth over the flesh under pressure, will act against the skin as suction cups. This will occur or take place by reason of the fact that when the rollers are pressed on the flesh and moved along the same the enlargements 12 of the forward roller, whether moving in either direction,

will produce depressions 17 therein, as shown by continuous lines in Fig. 5, of the drawing, and as the enlargements of the other roller are located between those of the first named roller and follow the same closely will depress the upwardly or outwardly projecting flesh between the projections 17, as indicated by dotted lines at 18 in Fig. 5, the sides of which depressions will be subjected to the action of the cups or depressions 16 in the enlargements of the rollers, as is obvious.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing is shown a modification in the construction of the enlargements of the rollers, which consists in providing each. of them in their peripheries with depressions 19 and corresponding projections 20, which depressions and projections will augment the kneading operation of the rollers, as is apparent.

In assembling the parts of the device, one end of each of the shafts of each of the rollers is placed in one of the openings 10 therefor, in one of the depending members 9 of the holder, when the other ends of said shafts can be placed in the openings in the opposite member 9 by springing the latter outwardly to a slight -degree, or sufficiently to permit the shafts to be placed in the openings thereof, when the said member will return to its normal position, and thus hold the shafts and enlargements carried thereby in parallelism with one another, yet so that the enlargements will be spaced apart and located in interlocking relation.

While I have shown the holder provided with a pair of rollers only, yet I .do not desire to be limited to this number, as I may employ one or more of such rollers. By my improvements it is obvious that in the movement back and forth of the device under ressure against the flesh, the latter will be t oroughly kneaded by the action of the enlargements on the rollers; that is, the forward roller will. create spaced apart furrows or depressions between which the flesh will protrude outwardly, which protruding or rib-like portions will be depressed by the enlargements on the roller following the for- Ward roller. It is manifest that this action will be attained without the employment of the cups 16 or depressions from the projections 19 of the enlargements, but by using said features it will be understood that the skin or flesh will be subjected to minute cupping or suction action by the cups 16, and

that the kneading operation will be augmented when the form of rollers shown in Fig. 4 is employed.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is' 1. A massage device consisting of a holder and a plurality of rollers journaled there on in parallelism with one another, each of said rollers having thereon a plurality of spaced apart circumferentially disposed enlargements tapered toward their periph- 'eries, the enlargements of said rollers being extended between each other and of uniform slze.

2. A massage device consisting of. a holder and a plurality of rollers journaled in parallelism with one another thereon, each of said rollers having thereon a pluralit of spaced apart circumferentially disposec enlargements of uniform size tapered toward their peripheries and provided in their outer portions with depressions, the enlargements of one roller being extended between the enlargements of the other roller.

3. A massage device consisting of a holder and a plurality of rollers journaled in parallelism with one another thereon, each of said rollers havin thereon a plurality of circumferentially isposed'enlargements tapered toward their peripheries and each provided on its outer portion on each side thereof with a series of spaced apart depressions.

4. A massage device consisting of a holder and a plurality of rollers journaled thereon in parallelism with one another, each of said rollers having, thereon a plurality of spaced apart circumferentially disposed enlargements, the enlargements of said rollers being extended between each other.

DENNIS J. HEAGANY. 

